Method and apparatus of producing cementitious elements.



A. C. GHENOWETH. METHOD AND APPARATUS 0F PRODUGING GEMENTITIOUS ELEMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1910Y Patented June so, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@13 @SHOM/1mg" Z COLUMBIA PLANooR/PH C0., WASHINGTON, D, c.

A. C. GHENOWETH.

METHOD AND APPARATUS 0F PRODUGING GEMBNTITIOUS ELEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1910.

L1 01,727., Patented June 30, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witwe/Joao: A

A. O. GHENOWBTH.

METHOD AND APPARATUS 0F PRODUCING GEMENTITIOUS ELEMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1910.

1,101,727. Patented June 30, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Parnu nieren. g

ALnXANnnR CRAWFORD CiiENow'ET'i-I, or NEW Yoeri, n. Y.

nicmar.

Spcification of Letters atent.

Patented J une 39, 1944.

Application iiled July 23, 1910. Serial No. 573,374.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CRAWFORD Ci-inNown'ri-r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Methods and Apparatus of Producing Cementitious y Elements, of which the following is a specifi-4 cation.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in methods and machines for the formation of cementitious elements, such as beams, posts, poles, sheet piling, and the like, and more particularly to method-s and machines which form the element by rolling the same into completed form' from a substantially flat sheet of cementitious material,

such, for instance, as shown in my prior Patent No. 795,556 and my pending application Serial Number 546,499, filed January 5th, 1910. ln the patent and application referred to means is shown for forming a cylindrical or round element by rol-ling a sheet of cementitious material upon itself, suitable reinforcing means beingemployed in order to stiifen the product and maintain the same intact.

rihe primary object of the present invention is to provide means in connection with such a machine whereby the rolling process nay be employed in order to `produce a polysided element, for instance, one which is square in cross section and one whichwill permit of producing upon the exterior surface of the element any configuration which may be desirable, either for the purposes of ornamentation, or mechanical reasons.

The invention consists in the improvements to be fully set forth hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

i have fully illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying my present improvement; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of 1rEig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlargedr detail view in end elevation of the forming platform and the element-forming means thereon; Fig. 4 is a cross section through the forming means and an element contained therein being formed thereby; Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a section of the .mold or forming means g Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sections through different forms of `elements and face' plates of the forming elements necessary to produce said elements; Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the' joint for connecting the sections of the forming molds or means.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates as a whole the base frame upon which the parts and mechanisms of the machine embodying my present `invention Vare grouped in operative combii nation.A The Aspecific construction of this frame is immaterial as long as it performs the functions for which it is employed, but I prefer to construct the same in the form of a substantially oblong ground frame comprising longitudinal side members 1, 1 joined to each other at their ends by end transverse members 2, 2 and by intermediate transverse members 3, 3 spaced apart from each other, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Rising from the ends of the members 1, 1 are vertical standards 4, the upper ends of which support upper transverse members 5 and longitudinal upper members 6, the end meme bers 2 having arranged thereon standards or pillars 7 arrangedbetween the standards 4, 4 andi also supporting the upper transverse members 5. Connecting said transverse members 5 and running longitudinally of the frame is a Central member S which performs a function to be presently set forth. lfn Fig. 1 the end vertical members 4 are broken away at their lower portions so as to clearly disclose the parts of the mechanisms located between the said end members. At each end of the base frame are also supported a pair of vertical standards 9 which support mechanisms to be presently described. Extending transversely of the main frame are pairs of trackways 10, 11 and 12 arranged parallel to each other, one of said trackways being located at approximately the center of the base frame, and one at each end portion of the latter. Disposed longitudinally of the frame and movable bodily transversely, or from front to rear thereof, is aV forming vtable or platform upon which the cementitious body or element is formed. This table is provided with track wheels 13 which run on the trackways above described,`and said table is formed with an upper receiving or forming surface 13 to receive the material from which the cementitious element is to be made this surface being inclined upwardly from the front to rear thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the upper surface of the forming table is a recess or pocket 15 in which is located a plurality of supporting devices, each consisting of a block or ridge 16 extending from front to rear of the table and formed on its upper surface with a plurality of arc-shaped recesses 17 arranged in series, said blocks or ridges being spaced apart a suitable distance lengthwise of the recess and arranged parallel to each other. It will be noted that the recess does not extend the entire width of the table from front to back, but is of such width that receiving surfaces for the sheet of material from which the body is formed are provided on either side of the recess at the front and rear of the table, as shown at 18 and 19. The recess or pocket and the supports thereon are adapted to receive a collapsible and foldable forming means which might be termed a mold box, which is adapted to be laid out in extended forni in said recess7 so that the surface of the mold forms a substantially continuous surface with and connecting the surface 18 and 19, the molding means being supported upon the concave or arc-shaped surfaces of the blocks or ridges 16, arranged in said recess, in a manner which will be presently set forth.

I will now proceed to describe in detail a preferred form of molding means which I have found particularly adapted for attaining tlie desired results, but before doing so I desire it understood that I do not wish to be limited to any particular construction of the mold box.` This mold box may consist of a plurality of sections 2O laid end to end in longitudinal alinenient and each of which consists in the embodiment shown of four walls, each of which is provided with rockers 21 which walls are adapted to be connected to form a mold rectangular in cross section, said rockers being spaced apart lengthwise of the wall equal to the distance between tlieblocks 15, and each adapted to rest within one of the arc-shaped seats in the said supporting blocks located in the recess 15 the rockers on the walls being arranged so that when the mold is folded or closed, said rockers at corresponding points on the walls form a continuous substantially circular surface, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be seen that by forming the seats 17 to conform substantially to the forni of the rockers that the latter are held so that the mold walls do not rock while the machine is operating, and the upper surfaces of the said walls of the mold areat all times maintained in substantially the same plane. The mold parts are detachably con- -nect'ed to each other by hinge bars 22, arl ranged within hinged plates 23, secured relchanical or ornamental purposes. stance, in Fig. 4 I have shown an element spectively on the meeting edges of the mold boards, the hinge plates and bars serving to form a pivotal connection between the adjoining edges of the mold boards and also providing detachable means whereby said boards may be separated to permit the parts being laid out flat, the hinge bars being removable by a longitudinal movement from said hinge plates to disconnect the latter. The mold box sections may be of any desired length and may be supplied with any number of these rockers which may be desired. The rockers located at the ends ofeach mold section, as shown in Fig. 8, are provided with a plurality of apertures 24 which when the sections are in proper relation to each other aline and are adapted to receive connecting pins 25 by means of which these sections are locked together. It is not absolutely essential that this mold box be made in a plurality of sections, but it is advantageous in that it permits the formation of an element of any desired length and by opening any particular sections, permits inspection of that part lof the body being formed without disturbing the other sections. The interior surfaces of the mold box may be formed with any configuration which it is desired to give to the element formed either for me- For inadapted to be used for the construction of sheet piling and this mold is provided upon the interior surface of one of its boards with a projection 26 and on the interior surface of the opposite board with a recess 27, so that the element when foimed is provided on one side with a recess and the other side with a tongue, the tongue and recess being adapt ed to coperate with corresponding parts formed in other elements.

Other forms of interlocking surfaces may be employed without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, suoli, for

' instance, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Mounted at each end of the frame upon the vertical members 9, 9, is a sliding frame 29 and in each of these frames is journaled a chuck shaft. 30 carrying at its inner end a chuck 3l adapted to receive a mandrel 32, which isfpreferably constructed of two parts 32, 32" laid face to face, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said chuck heads being so arranged that the mandrel is supported in a hori- Zontal plane above and extending longitudinally of the forming table. Each of these mandrel'sliafts carries a gear 33 which in turn meshes with a smaller gear 34 on a shaft 35 journaled in said vertical movable frame and carrying a gear 36 which meshes with a gear 37 on a third shaft 38 also in the frame above the shaft heretofore mentioned and having mounted thereon a lsprocket wheel 89 over which passes a ysprocket chain 40 by means of which the shaft 3S is driven fromfa power shaft 4l carrying a sprocket wheel 4t2 engaged by the said sprocket chain; By this means it will be seen that both of the chuck shafts may be driven simultaneously `from the power shaftflll and in the same direction. rl`he shafts may be provided with hand cranks 43 by means of which the mandrel may be driven from either end of the ma# chine when desired to operate the same independently ofthe power.V The two sets of gearing are shown as being substantially identical, but the particular construction of the gearing, or its arrangement, is not essential, the only requirement being` that the gears be so arranged and constructed that both ends ofthe mandrel be driven at the same speed and in the same direction.

Before 0'oing into any further details of construction l will now describe the operation of the machine as it has so far been disclosed, and the method of procedure in forming a cemeiititious body. Referring particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it being understood that it is the purpose to produce a reinforced element, the reinforcing means Aof which consists in partofa mesh fabric, l would state that l first lay a proper reinforcing fabric, `such as wire mesh M, upon the surface 19 of the form ing table and extend the same over the upper surfaces of the mold boards which have previously been arranged within the pocket in the forming table with their rockers disposed within the arc-shaped recesses in the blocks of said pockets, the fabric preferably extending entirely across said boards and terminating` at approximately the edge of the block at the loweredge of the pocket 15. Before placing the fabric on the table a plurality of spaced wires W are connected thereto, the space-s between said wires being equal to the spaces between the sets of rockers on the mold box and these wires are ai ranged over the upgcr surfaces of the arcshaped recesses in said pocket beneath the curved surface of each rocker, the free ends of the wires being carried out below the outer edge of the lowermost mold board and connected to the lower edge of the forming table as shown at i-ll. The parts being ar-4 y ranged as pist set forth, the cementitious,

material of which y the' element is to be formed is spread over .the surface of the reinforcing fabric both at that part arranged over the surface and over the upper surface of the mold board, reinforcing bars 45 having previously been laid upon the upper surface of the fabric and connected thereto if desired. :it will be understood that the u Joer end of the fabric or that edge which l l a :3

neath the mandrel. The mandrel is then rotated :in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, which will serve to roll up the fabric and the ysheet of material thereon in convolute f rm, the rpull on the fabric serving to more lthe vforming table rearward until the pull on the wires serves to lift the first mold board out of the pocket in the formf ing platform into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the continued rotation of the `mandrel serves to continue the movement of the table toward the rear and successively piclr up and turn over the moldboards until ,they assu-me the position shown in Fig. 4;, forming an inclosed rectangular mold within which a body is formed, the exterior configuration of which corresponds to the interior form of the mold, said body having a reinforce of fabric in convolute form. rihe meeting ends of the first and last mold boards may then be connected by meansof the insertion of a .hinge bar, whereby the body formed is s curelyV held within ithe mold which in its closed condition maybe rolled away on the circular surfaces formed by the rockers to any desired place where the body may be permitted to set within the inold,the wires having previously been disconnected from Lthe lower edge of the table. in the above operation it will. be seen that the portion of the layer of material over the flat or rigid portion lof, the table is first wound in vconvolute form on the mandrel andthenthe continued rotation. of the mandrel serves to piel; up successively the flexily connected mold boards, the fabric and material thereon being wound on the man.- drel in convolute form andthe mold boards successively applying pressure to the soft material to form the faces thereof.'

In order to assist in giving a post the desired shape and for closely compacting the material about the mandrel, l employ what l term a hold-back roll which also serves to hold the post against rolling down the incline `of the table, said rollr being supportedjinfront of the mandrel, or at that side toward which the formation of the post .takes place. rlhe holdb-ack roll i6 extends longitudinally ofthe mandrel and is supported so as to be in surface contact with the work, but out of Contact with the table. Any suitable support may be employed for the lhold-back roll, but I prefer to journal the same in the free end of swinging arms 47 which are hinged preferably to the vortical post l heretofore described as shown at 48. Suitable means is provided for adjusting the elevation of the hold-back roll and for lifting the same free from the mandrel. F or the purpose stated,'l may employ simple forms of blocks and tackle, as shown at 49,

the same being connected to the roll supports overhead frame, thence under 4a guide-wheely 5l onthe base frame to a block 52fdepending from the superstructure.

lt will be appreciated that whenever one of nthe mold sections is lifted, dueto the rotation of the mandrel that the same tends t0. lift the mandrel'vertically, and l provide simple means for moving the gea-ring so that the chuck shafts and the mandrel will move vertically simultaneously, whereby any tendency to destroy the connection between the mandrel and chuck shafts, or to otherwise injure the parts or bend the work is avoided. This is. accomplished'by having the driving mechanism for the chuck shafts mounted on the vertically movable frame, asheretofore described, and the side members ofthese frames include vertical racks 53 whichare engaged by pinions 54; mounted Von horizontal shafts 55, the latter at their inner ends being provided with arms 56 connected by a link 57 with a rocker arm 58 mounted on a horizontal shaft. 59, from` which extends a vertically disposed tappet `lever G0, the upper end of whichis located adjacent the side adjacent the gearing table. At the sides of the table adj acenteach of the points at which the hinges of the mold box are arranged isa projection 61, which, Iduring the movement of the table, strikes vsaid tappet arm at approximately the time each mold board as it is liftedvassumes a vertical position, and thereby swings the tappet arm which, through its connection with the sliding gear frame, lifts the latter with the mandrel when the latter moves upwardly.

In order to provide for proper engagement between the wires heretofore described, and-the rockers on the mold sections, said mold sections may each be provided with a longitudinal groove 62 which, when the mold sectionsvare folded, aline to form a continuous groove around the mold box.

The spaced wires N referred to may be used to tie the mold sections together vby taking the free vends thereof and connecting them in anyV desired manner to the parts of the wires passing around the rockers;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is 2- l. yThe method of forming solid plastic columns, posts, piles and similar bodies having a plurality of faces disposed at angles to each other, which consists inplacing a layer of the body-forming material on a sheet ofl flexible fabric, winding a portion of the fabric and material supported thereon in convolute form, continuing the winding and simultaneously with the continuance of the winding applying to the fabric and material mold boards disposed in angular relathe upper surface of the table and means whereby rotation of the mandrel folds the said members to form a mold to inclose said material.

3. In a machine for forming plastic columns, posts, piles andk similar bodies, forming` `table and a mandrel rmovable relative to eachother, said table vhaving aiixed, rigid forming surface and a flexiblel forming sur face adjoining each other and yconstituting a continuous platform to receive a layer of material to be molded, Aand means for revolving the `mandrel to wind'. thel said layer of material thereon and means connected to the mandrel and extending beneath the flexible forming surface for folding the flexible surface to inclose the material about the i mandrel.

4C. In a machine for forming plastic col# umns, posts, piles andsiinilar bodies, a forming table and a mandrel movable relative to each other, a flexible mold on the table con,- sisting` of flexibly connected members to receive a layer of cementitious material, and means connected to the mandrel and extending beneath said flexible mold to lift the latter and fold it about the mandrel when the table and mandrel are moved vrelative to each other. s

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER CRAWFORD GHENOWETH.

Copies ot thisvpatentl may be obtained kfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Y Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N o. 1,101,727, granted June 30, 1914,

upon the application of Alexander Crawford Chenoweth, of New York, N. Y., for

an improvement in Methods and Apparatus of Producing Cementitious Elements,

an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1,

line 109, for the reference number 13 read 14,' and that the said Letter Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of August, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

